Jake Johnson is having a banner year in 2026, but his character on Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed is not having a great time. In an exclusive sneak peek at Episode 5, Johnson's Karl finds himself in an interrogation room, nervously rambling to two detectives as his personal life spirals further out of control. The clip, which Collider is debuting, showcases the actor's knack for blending panic with pitch-black comedy.
The Apple TV+ thriller stars Tatiana Maslany as Paula, a newly divorced mother whose already chaotic life takes a terrifying turn when she witnesses the murder of a camboy she frequents. The killer then uses their recorded sessions to blackmail her, forcing Paula to investigate the conspiracy on her own while juggling custody battles, co-parenting, and a fact-checking job. Johnson plays her ex-husband Karl, who is reluctantly pulled into the mess.
Episode 5, titled "Scamboy," escalates the stakes. Paula ends up in a deadly standoff with her coworkers Rudy (Charlie Hall) and Geri (Kiarra Hamagami Goldberg), while Karl's current wife Mallory (Jessy Hodges) plays dirty in the custody fight. The police, circling Paula as a suspect in Trevor's death, haul Karl in for questioning. In the sneak peek, he faces Detectives Baxter (Jon Michael Hill) and Gonzalez (Dolly De Leon), but the officers barely get a word in. Karl launches into a series of meandering, contradictory answers, immediately walking back statements and admitting he might be having a panic attack. The detectives look exhausted, and the scene perfectly captures the show's awkward, darkly humorous tone.
For Maslany, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed is a critical darling, earning a Certified Fresh 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Creator and showrunner David J. Rosen, along with director David Gordon Green, have crafted a whodunnit that Collider's Emily Bernard called "solid, addictive" in her 7/10 review, praising Maslany's "charming tour-de-force performance." The ensemble also includes Nola Wallace, Brandon Flynn, and Murray Bartlett.
Johnson's 2026 is packed beyond this series. He's in the indie hit Give It Up, the Joe Swanberg collaboration The Sun Never Sets, the pickleball comedy The Dink, Laika's stop-motion film Wildwood, and the NBC comedy Sunset P.I. But for now, all eyes are on his panicked interrogation scene.
If you're a fan of thrillers that keep you guessing, check out our list of 9 detective shows that grab you and never let go. And for more Apple TV+ excitement, 'Dark Matter' Season 2 is coming August 28.
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed Episode 5 premieres June 10 on Apple TV+. Watch the exclusive sneak peek above.
